James b



(No Model.)

J. E. WHITMAN & E. M. BROWN.

- INK WELL COVER.

Patented Jan. 12

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JAMES E. VHITMAN AND ELBRIDGE M. BROWN, OF SPRING VALLEY, MINN.

INK-WELL COVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,148, dated January 12, 1886.

Application ined october o, isos. serial No. 119,148. (No moda.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMEs E. WHITMAN and ELBRIDGE M. BROWN, citizens of the United States, residing at Spring Valley, in the county of Fillmore and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in lnkfWell'Covers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention has relation to improvements in ink-well covers; and the novelty consistsin the construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

The object of our invention is to provide a cover which can be readily attached to and removed from the ink-well of a school or other desk and to fit flush with the upper face of the desk-cover; to provide means for removing the ink well or receptacle from the desk, and which means shall be normally closed to prevent the evaporation of the ink in the well and the entrance of dust or dirt, Src., thereto, and to provide means for permitting the pen to be dipped in the ink-well without opening or removing the cover thereto.

Ve have shown an embodiment of our invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective View of our improved cover detached from a desk.v Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device in position upon a desk, a portion only of which is shown; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on the line x x of Fig. 2.

Like letters of reference denote like parts in the several gures of the drawings, referring to which A designates our improved cover, which consists, essentially, of an outer -inclosing-ring, B, having arms or-lugs a a', for attaching it to the desk, a lid or cover, C, hinged to said ring and lying flush with the upper face thereof, and having an aperture, c, and a supplementary slide or cover, D, pivoted to said hinged lid and adapted to cover or lie over the aperture c'therein. The ring or annulus B is provided with an inner projecting flange, a2, preferably curved or inclined in cross section to provideaclose seat for inclined o1' curved edge of the hinged lid C, and two arms or lugs, a a', on diametricallybpposite thereto.

sides thereof, and having each an aperture, a, for the passage of securing screws or nails. The arm or lug a is made longer than its fellow arm, and is provided with a recessed or cut-away portion, b, on its inner edge, and which extends to the inner circle describedthe annular projecting flange of the said ring. The recessed or cutaway portion b provides a seat or socket for the reception of an arm or pivotal lug, b', of the cover C, and through the side walls of the recessed portion of the arm a and the pivot-lug b of the cover C passes a pivot-pin, b2, to connect said parts together. The cover C is provided with an upwardlyprojecting flange, c', at its edge, which lies in the plane of the upper edge of the ring B, thus leaving the body thereof depressed below the plane of the supporting-ring, and said hinged cover C is provided with an opening, c, for the free insertion of the pen into the inkstand located beneath the cover B. The opening c is preferably arranged at the middle of the cover, and is of such a diameter as to allow pens of varying sizes to bereadily dipped in the ink and prevent the free entrance of air The slide D is normally arranged over the opening c, and hasan arm or lug, d, through which passes a pin, d', to pivot said slide to the hinged cover. The slide is of a thickness corresponding to the depth of the annular flange of the hinged cover G, and thus all of said parts are brought to lie in the plane of the upper edges of the supporting ring or ange, which is arranged to lie flush with the upper surface of the desk-cover by means which we will now describe.

E designates the desk-cover, having a deep opening cut therein to provide a supportingledge, e, on which rests an annular ange, f, projecting from the upper edge and vertical face of the ink-well F, which is of the ordinary well-known construction, the upper edge of said iiange lying at a distance from the top of the desk equal to the thickness of the ring B of the top A, and of a diameter equal to the inner diameter of said ring,to permit the well F to be readily withdrawn from the desk for the purpose of cleaning the said well. The ring B is supported above the well and held in proper position in the desk-top by means of the perforated arms or lugs a a', fitting in IOO recesses or sockets g, cut or formed in the desk-top, and communicating with the cutaway portion or opening therein made for the purpose of providing the supporting-ledge e, screws or nails g passing through the perforations in said lugs to hold the supporting-- to us necessitating the opening of the hinged cover B,which exposes the entire surface of the ink to the action of the air. This is a serious objection, and entails the rapid evaporation of the ink, admits dust and dirt thereto, and requires the frequent cleaning or washing out of the ink-well; but it will be readily seen that our improved cover overcomes these objections while at the same time it permits free entrance to the ink in the well, and permits of the ready and easy filling thereof, when required, and its removal for the purpose of cleansing.

By arranging the device below the plane or Hush withV the upper surface or' the desk it cannot be injured, and is out of the way to persons using the desk, the cover affording no obstacle to the path of any article that may be forced or pushed across it, as is sometimes the case with school children using the device.

It will be observed that the device is very simple, strong, and durable in construction, thoroughly effective for the purposes designed, and can be manufactured at a minimum of cost. l

In order todene the nature and scope of our invention we would state that heretofore it hasbeen proposed to provide an inkwell cover with a ring to be secured to the desk, a cover pivoted to the ring, and adapted to slide in a horizontal plane, and having a dip-opening and a slide pivoted to the cover near the dip-opening, such construction being shown in the patent to C. T. Chase, No. 79,444, dated June 80, 1868.

In our improved ink-well cover the cover proper is hinged to the supporting-ring, so as to fold upwardly and downwardly to assume a vertical and horizontal position, and when said cover is folded ,downwardly it lies within and flush with the upper edges of the ring. The middle of the cover is countersunk, and provided with a dip-opening protected by a. pivoted valve, and this valve lies flush with the upper edges of the cover and the supporting-ring.

The entire device is secured in the desk-top flush with the upper face thereof, and the several parts are thus prevented from becom ing accidentally strut-,hand broken.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As an article of manufacture, an inkwell cover comprising a supporting-ring. a cover hinged thereto, so as to fold upwardly in a vertical position and normally lying in a closed horizontal position therein flush with the upper edges thereof, said cover having a countersunk middle portion and a dip-opening, and a valve or'slide pivoted to the cover and lying flush with the upper edges thereof, as set forth.`

In' testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaifixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. VHITMAN. ELBRIDGE M. BROVN: Witnesses:

TYREE M. MCCLUNG, BYRON W. HUNTLEY. 

